John William Casilear papers, 1832-1962

Collection Summary: Correspondence, including two letters to engraver and landscape painter John Frederick Kensett, 1832-1833, four to his son, John W. Casilear, Jr. 1891-1892; typed excerpts from a diary kept by Kensett, 1840-1841; genealogical and biographical material including family documents, articles and publication extracts about Casilear, compiled and/or annotated by Grace Casilear Burr, John W. Casilear, Jr., and historian Foster Wild Rice; five original Casilear engravings; reproductions of art works; lists of art work; and family photographs, including a daguerreotype of Casilear, and two unidentified ambrotypes.

Biographical/Historical Note: Engraver, painter. The Casilear family were engravers of bank notes. In 1840, Casilear along with friends John Frederick Kensett, Asher B. Durand and others, went to Europe to study art.

Donated by Lawrence Fleischman, who received them from Foster Wild Rice, 1962. Rice, the great-grandson of bank note engraver Nathaniel Jocelyn, wrote a brief history of the Jocelyn family of engravers, The Jocelyn Engravers (1948), with whom Casilear was associated in the bank note engraving business. He acquired the papers from Grace Casilear Burr (d. 1906), and Miss Elinor Woolson, Casilear descendents.

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Microfilm reel D177 available at Archives of American Art offices and through interlibrary loan.

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